Shipwrecking Scylla
by Awen Sofer
Summary: She was a pirate hunter, and he was a pirate. He was supposed to be her greatest capture ever, but he arrested her heart instead. Would she find safe harbor in his arms or would her heart be dashed upon the sharp and forbidding rocks of regret to never recover?
1. Chapter 1

Pietrica had been watching the Straw Hat Pirates all night. They drank a lot, they ate a lot, and they laughed a lot. They seemed to be having the time of their lives. She envied them. She had forgotten what it was like to be so carefree and fun loving. Glancing at her twin brother sitting next to her, she noticed he was surveying another group of pirates in the bar. They were surrounded. They had just sailed into Port Orleans, the island known for partying and all sorts of fun and debauchery. The twin pirate hunters were supposed to be relaxing and enjoying themselves. Being encompassed on all sides by so many pirates caused lots of dollar signs to float in their weary heads. The lure of easy money made it difficult for them to let down their hair and have fun. While here, all of these pirates would be off their guard, drunk off their ass, and distracted by chasing ass which would make them easy pickings for the pirate hunters. However, there was an unspoken rule on the Island of Orleans: leave your shit at the dock whatever it may be and don't pick it back up until you're ready to leave. That so called shit could be settling a grudge, carrying out a mercenary mission, or arresting a pirate for a fat bounty. Everyone was on this island to leave all of that stuff behind so they could eat, drink, dance, and screw their cares away. It was an escapist's dream and that was what they were all here to do: escape their harsh realities and worries just for a little while.

Pietrica had left the thick stack of wanted posters in her desk on their ship. If she dared to guess, there was hundreds of billions of berries sitting around them. Oh, well. She sighed with overwhelming dejection. She should be trying to relax and have fun anyway. Picking up her drink, she finished off the awful tasting cheap liquor. Raising her hand, she hailed the overworked waitress. When the overwrought woman looked her way, she held up her brother's beer mug. She did not want another one of those pitiful excuses for a neat vodka. The beer would at least be cold.

"Come on, Sis!" Cary yelled over the music, hugging her by flinging his arm over her shoulders to pull her against his side. "Lighten up and have fun!"

Pietrica jerked away from him. He was hot and sweaty and gross. At least he was a prissy, pretty boy who used scented soap and a lot of cologne so he did not stink. Although he had bypassed wearing a shirt and was dressed in nothing but his loose black cotton hakata pants and sandals, he was still melting in the heat. The sweat on his body drenched her white gauzy shirt that she was wearing over her binkini top that was red with white flowers on it. In contrast to her skimpy attire on her upper half, she was wearing a floor length skirt comprised of several layers of the thin material like her shirt. She had kicked off her sandals soon after they had sat down. She hated shoes. Her toes clutched onto the bottom spindles of the bar stool as if they were talons and she was a great big bird.

"Here, honey!" the waitress yelled over the din of noise. Between the music, laughter, and many raised voices, there was a constant deafening barrage of sound in the bar.

Pietrica handed her the money, along with a big tip, for the drink. She sucked half of it down in one very long sip. Between the heat and smoke in the bar, she was dying of thirst. A pleasant warmth flooded her system as she imbibed the refreshingly cold beer.

"Hey, let's dance!" her brother suggested, grabbing her by the hand.

"No! Wait!" she protested, snatching her hand out of his grip. She swiftly pounded back the rest of her beer. "I'm not drunk enough for this yet!"

"You will be!" he hollered back, seizing her wrist to drag her out onto the dance floor.

"I forgot my shoes!" she screamed as he pulled her into his body to swing her around.

"Too late! Time to have fun!" He pushed through the sea of bodies, elbowing his way to the center of the tangled mass of limbs and sweaty torsos.

"You have a weird idea of fun!" She screamed and giggled as he twirled her around as if she were a ballerina. Her brother had always possessed the natural talent of being able to pull her out of the doldrums.

Zoro's eyes casually drifted over the mass of bodies that distinctly resembled a large, singular, wriggling sea creature. There was a shocking hair color, crimson, the exact color of blood, that caught his eyes. Sitting up, he leaned further across the table as if that would really help him get a better look. The seemingly useless gesture must have worked because the two people that bore the eye catching hair color came into crystal clear view.

"Oh, my god," he gasped, draining his beer mug.

"What? What is it?" Sanji asked, paranoid that his shipmate had spotted a nemesis.

"It's Scylla and Charybdis. What the hell are they doing here?" he murmured as if talking to him.

"The whosee whatsit now?" Luffy glanced around at his crew. "What the hell did he say?"

Everyone had ceased speaking and was staring at Zoro whose gaze was pinned to the couple on the dance floor. They followed his line of vision to the two redheads who where dancing as if they had just stepped out for the night from teaching their ballroom dancing classes. The pair was gorgeous, both with vermilion red hair that was pulled up into ponytails. The male was tall with bronzed skin and dark, seemingly black, eyes. The female was much shorter, barely reaching him midchest, with pale blue eyes that practically glowed which made their color easily visible from such a long distance.

"They're beautiful," Nami gasped, her eyes staying on the man.

"Brother and sister?" Sanji asked, hopeful that they were siblings so he would have a chance with the pretty girl.

"Yes," Zoro replied, squinting his eyes as he studied them. "I know them."

"Who are they?" Luffy inquired, cramming the turkey drumstick into his mouth.

"They're pirate hunters. They're known as Scylla and Charybdis," he said, grabbing the full beer that the waitress had sat down in front of him. He definitely needed a drink now. He had not seen them in years. As a matter of fact, he thought he would never see them again.

"Their nicknames...they're named after the sea monsters who shipwreck sailors, right? One is a big sharp rock and the other is a whirlpool?" Sanji questioned him curiously, lighting another cigarette. His eyes traveled down the woman's chest to her bared belly. Very nice. Her delicate peach colored skin reminded him of the fruit by the same name and tint.

"Yeah. You should see them take down a pirate for a bounty. It's quite remarkable actually. It's like watching two animals hunt down prey. Too bad we won't get to see them in action here," he muttered, turning up his beer glass for a deep swallow.

"What if we were the pirates they were after? It wouldn't be so great then would it?" the irritated blonde returned, puffing on his cigarette. "What a perfectly good waste of a beautiful woman. A damn pirate hunter."

"Why let a little thing like that stop you from hitting on her, Sanji? Nothing ever has before," Nami snorted, unable to miss an opportunity to poke fun at him and his lecherous ways.

"Shut up, Nami," he snapped, grinding his cigarette into the ashtray to put it out.

"Well, at least we know that they can't do anything here. It's against the rules and no one wants to get banned from the ultimate party place," Zoro said, sitting back against the wall to relax.

"Hey, where is Ace?" Luffy asked through his mouth full of food.

"Don't you ever pay attention, Luffy? He left to go to the hotel to sleep. He had already fallen asleep twice through dinner so before there was a third time he went back to the room," Nami replied, shaking her head with irritation.

Sweat trickled down Pietrica's back, soaking the waist line of her skirt. Her head swam as her brother spun her away from him then brought her back into his body before dipping her backwards. She stumbled, bumping into the person next to her not that it really mattered because there were bodies making contact all the time on the dance floor whether accidentally or on purpose. She laughed, shuffling forward to lay her head on her brother's shoulder. The heat and the alcohol had combined to hit her like ton of bricks. Her body felt heavy, clumsy, and way too hot.

"I've got to go. I need to get out of here," she mumbled as queasiness filled her gut. Covering her mouth, she turned away to run from the dance floor. Perhaps she had made a mistake by mixing hard liquor and beer.

"Pietrica!" Cary yelled, running after her. He was stopped by a cute girl with shoulder length orange hair and big brown eyes. He smiled at her as she blocked his way, pressing her small hand to his broad chest.

"What's your hurry, sailor? How about a dance with me?" she asked, giving him a charming, thousand watt smile.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. What's your name?"

"Nami."

"Nami, I'm Cary. Nice to meet you. I'll be happy to help you dance the night away."

"Great! I can't wait," she said, grabbing his hand to pull him back to the dance floor.

Pietrica ran out of the bar, halting just outside of the doors as the brisk night air blew across her face. She sighed with relief as the nausea immediately waned when her body cooled. Pulling her hand across her forehead, she wiped away some of the sweat before it could ooze down into her eyes. She lifted her skirt slightly, glancing down at her feet. They were bare. Dammit. She had forgotten her shoes. If she stayed on the sidewalk as she made her way back to the hotel, she should be safe. Only a few pedestrians were on the sidewalk, most of them like her, returning to their hotel rooms for the night. Entering the back courtyard of the Maison du Sommeil, translated as the House of Sleep, she could hear the sound of the water of the pool lapping at the cement sides. The thought of a quick dip to cool off was too tempting to resist. Glancing around the area that was dimly lit by gas lanterns on tall posts, she took of her skirt and shirt, neatly folding them before she lay them on the cement apron surrounding the pool. She was already wearing a bikini so she was appropriately dressed for the late night swim. Jumping in, her body sliced through the cold water before popping above the surface to bob lke a cork. With a groaning sigh of delight, she leaned back into the water to float on her back. Lazy paddling around, she stared at the stars in the sky above her. Now this was relaxing.

"Hey! Hey you!" a male voice yelled at her.

Pietrica raised her head up to see a man standing at the edge of pool. She could only see his silhouette. He was wearing a hat and was standing with his hands in his pockets; that was all she could see because the light from the lanterns was too feeble to illuminate him in detail.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked.

Pietrica bit her lower lip to refrain from unleashing her smart ass comment. "Swimming to cool off. It's a hot night," she responded politely, staying in the middle of the pool. If he jumped in to come after, she would have a fighting chance to swim away from him.

"That's for damn sure," he muttered, taking his hands out of his pockets. "Sure wish I could join you."

"Why can't you?" she questioned him, holding her breath as apprehension made her whole body grow tense. Wasn't this just typical? She had finally found where she could unwind and someone steps in to ruin it. A sharp inhale wrenched free from her throat when a small flame erupted from his thumb. As she watched in gape mouthed awe, flames appeared over his entire hand and coursed up his arm as if he was catching fire. Oh, god! As she looked into the dark eyes set above freckled cheeks, she realized she was looking at Fire Fist Ace. He would make a handsome addition to her collection of sensational pirate captures - not to mention the hefty bounty she would collect. "You'll drown if you come in, won't you?"

"Yeah," he responded, extinguishing the flames instantly. "Damn devil fruit. The power is nice, but it came at a great price."

"Come in with me," she invited, swimming to the edge of the pool where he stood. "I'll keep you from sinking."

"Hmph," he grunted, smiling down at the pretty woman. "Maybe another night."

"What if you don't see me again? This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity that you're passing up."

"I'll see you again. I'm sure of it."

Pietrica watched him walk away, staring at his back. Oh, he had a nice masculine shape. The enticing triangular made by his wide shoulders before narrowing down to a trim waist made her heart beat faster. He was so muscular that there were hard knots of toned muscle across his back. His long shorts hung so low on his waist that she had been able to see the dimples in his back that usually aren't too far above where a man's behind begins to round out. God. If only he hadn't been standing with the lights behind him when he was near her at the pool, she would have been able to see him so much better. But she had clearly seen his face. He had a gorgeous face and those damn freckles; so childlike yet so alluring on his lean tanned cheeks. There was no doubt she would be seeing him again because she meant to arrest him and haul him in to collect the bounty on his handsome head.

"Calm down, girl. Don't be a dumbass," she admonished herself, laying back into the water to float around some more. "Whatever you do, moron, don't fall in love with the pirate you intend to capture some day."


	2. Chapter 2

Pietrica was sitting on the balcony of her hotel room having her morning coffee when a familiar and very attractive face along with an incredibly sexy body appeared on the balcony next door. She continued to sip her coffee, looking through her eyelashes at him while pretending she was not even aware of his presence.

"Hi there," Ace said, leaning on the rail that conjoined the two balconies.

"Hello, hot stuff," she returned, raising her coffee cup to her mouth. She looked at him over the rim of the cup as she sipped. It amused her greatly to see that his cheeks were lightly blushed under those disarming freckles.

"I never did get your name," he told her, giving her a big sheepish grin.

His shyness, whether real or feigned, made him seem so much cuter - as if he needed any further help with improving his looks. She took another sip of coffee as if she were in no hurry to answer. "Pietrica."

"Pietrica," he repeated. "I'm Ace."

"I know who you are," she replied, returning his smile. Although her heart fluttered like a butterfly trapped in her chest, she remained calm and stoic as if he did not effect her at all. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thankfully, her years of being a pirate hunter had made her quite the expert at hiding her true emotions. Sometimes she feared being a liar, particularly about her emotions, came way too easily to her.

"What are you up to today?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously.

"You're not accustomed to making small talk are you?" she inquired pointedly, picking up the silver coffee server to refill her cup.

"Is it that obvious?" He gave her a slightly shy sideways grin that exhibited his discomfort.

"Painfully," she returned with a giggle, lowering her eyes from him to watch the cream as she poured it into her coffee. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I'd rather have a beer," he responded, taking that as an invitation to come over. He effortlessly swung his athletic, muscular body over the rail to land elegantly like a gymnast on her balcony. He did not make a sound despite wearing his big, clunky boots.

"Sorry. I don't order beer with breakfast," she retorted, taking a sip from her newly refilled cup of coffee.

"What about with dinner?" he queried, sitting down in the chair across from her.

Pietrica barely controlled herself before she spit out the mouth full of coffee. She carefully set the fragile china cup on the equally breakable saucer. To be so timid just a few moments earlier, he had grown surprisingly bold with astonishing speed. She gazed at him momentarily before answering. "Are you really asking me out for dinner or are you just inquiring about my beverage choice at mealtimes?"

"I would like to go somewhere with you to eat."

"Like a date?"

"Yes, very much like a date."

"Well, if it's like a date, yes," she replied, picking up her coffee cup again.

"What will you be doing until then?" he asked, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in.

Pietrica watched him silently as he held his hat on his head as he raised his face to the sun with his eyes closed. Her eyes moved down his neck, studying the tendons as they flexed. The big, round red beads of the necklace around his neck held her attention only a brief moment. She continued to observe him, her eyes roaming over his wide, tanned chest that glistened from a fine sheen of sweat. Oh, yes. It was hot out here and was being made hotter because of him. She stared at the bull's skull on the pendant laying between his well-developed pectorals. Her line of vision trailed down the orange tassel that bisected the defined ridges of his abdomen. He was a thing of beauty and a wonderful sight to behold from a pure aesthetic level. On a more base, sexual level, he was a god come to life full of physical beauty and brimming with sex appeal. She knew right quick and in a hurry _who_ she'd like to be doing until time to go to dinner. Her brother would whip her ass if he knew the salacious thoughts she was wallowing in at the moment. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do today. Maybe a little shopping. Laying on the beach and drinking all day. Perhaps a nap. Lazy, touristy stuff, you know."

"Sounds like fun," he rejoined in a tone that directly contradicted his words. He sounded as if he would be bored out of his mind doing any of those things.

"What about you? What do you have planned for an exciting, fun filled day?" she inquired, genuinely interested in his plans. He seemed like the kind of guy who didn't have to go looking for excitement. She had the feeling that somehow trouble always found him.

"Not sure. Just hanging out with my brother, Luffy," he answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Brother. Pietrica had no idea where Cary was this morning. She had awakened in their room alone. His bed had not even been laid in, definitive proof that he had never come to the room last night at all. She guessed he was somewhere being Prince Charming with the girl who had asked him to dance as she was running from the bar last night. Her brother loved the ladies and in return the ladies loved him. However, if she were to disappear with a man all night, there would be hell to pay. Cary would beat the crap out of Don Juan then proceed to whip her behind. She withheld sighing with exasperation from the irritating double standard her brother held. "Well, shall we meet back here at seven? We can decide where to go then."

"Okay," he agreed, standing up from his chair.

Pietrica kept her eyes on him as he jumped back to his own balcony. So graceful. And fabulously muscular. She inhaled a deep, shaky breath. After he turned around to wave, she smiled and waved back at him. Once he disappeared into his room, she released the breath she had been holding in a noisy gush of air.

_You're gonna do something stupid...really stupid...like fall in love with that man, aren't you?_ the little voice in the back of her mind accused.

'Yep. I'm sure I will,' she answered back truthfully in her head. She would fight the feeling as long as she could. She would not relinquish her heart easily or take the inevitable fall without a fight. At least, that's what she told herself.

~...~

Pietrica was in one of the clothing shops thumbing through a rack of dresses when she heard an angry, yelling voice outside. An irate shop owner yelled the word stop from down the street. She looked out of the window of the store were she was shopping just in time to see a streak colored red and blue run past followed by one colored orange and black.

"Oh, god, no," she mumbled to herself. "Don't let that be who I think that was."

Pietrica stepped out of the dress shop just as the cook from the noodle restaurant ran by swinging a pan above his head. She glanced down the street to see Luffy and Ace disappear around the corner into an alley between the sets of buildings.

"Sir!" she called to the furious cook, jogging up to him. She smiled at the large, angry man who had huge droplets of sweat running down his red face. "What did they do?"

"The little bastards ate and ran without paying. That's against the rules of this island, you know," he growled as if it were her fault they had committed the dine and dash. "I'm about to call the cops and get their asses tossed off this island. They'll be banned from ever coming back here for this."

"How much?" she asked, reaching into her purse for her wallet.

"What?" he questioned her, taken aback when she offered him several crisp paper bills.

"Here's two hundred berries. That will more than cover it right? Will it take care of their meals and your time?" she inquired, shaking the bills at him as if to entice him to take them.

"If you think you can just wave a little money in my face - " he began in a loud voice full of offense to show his displeasure at being offered an obvious bribe. He watched her like a hawk as she pulled out another bill. "They really should be banned...It's wrong, just plain wrong what they did." His eyes formed big, round circles when she added two hundred more berries to the amount. He stared at the five hundred berries in new, unwrinkled bills that she held out to him.

"Will this pay their tab...and buy amnesia?" Luffy and Ace were going to owe her big time for this. She was really not sure why she was doing this for them. Perhaps in the future they could pay her back by coming along without a struggle when she was ready to turn them in for their bounties. But she really didn't want to do that. She could not imagine arresting either one of them. Cary would be so pissed if he knew what she was thinking.

"Sure, lady. You have a nice day," he muttered, pocketing three hundred of the money. He would put the rest in the cash register. Not only was he the cook, but he was also the owner of the noodle shop. "Just keep those two out of my restaurant."

"I will," she assured him, watching him return to his business establish. As soon as he was gone, she turned to walk in the direction where the two culinary thieves had disappeared. She stopped at the end of the alleyway, staring down the seemingly deserted corridor between the buildings. After taking a deep breath, she yelled, "You can come out now. Your tab had been paid in full...and then some."

"Thanks?" Luffy responded, his confusion making it sound like a question. He stepped from behind the trash cans where he had been hiding. "Why'd you do that anyway?"

"I felt charitable today apparently." Her eyes moved to Ace when he dropped down from the plant covered balcony on which he had been hiding. "You sure know how to impress a lady, hot stuff."

"Hot stuff," Luffy tittered before snorting from a vain attempt to restrain his laughter.

"It's because of my flame power stupid, shut up," his brother muttered grumpily, smacking him across the back of his head so hard his straw hat flew off.

"My hat!" he yelled, chasing the plain round topped wide brimmed hat with a red ribbon around it.

Pietrica picked it up when it fell across her sandaled feet. She stared at it, her fingers tracing the red ribbon around the round bowl top. When she realized he was standing in front of her with his hands out, she extended it to him. However, she did not immediately let the brim go, hanging onto it as he tried to pull it out of her hand.

"Thanks, lady. I owe you one," he said, surprised at how strong she was as she held the brim between her fingers.

"Actually, you owe me two," she corrected him, letting go of the hat. She had saved his ass and his hat. Looking around the skinny and deceptively strong kid, she informed his brother, "You owe me one."

"So what do you want us to do?" Ace asked apprehensively. He watched her warily as she tapped her finger against her chin while she thought about it.

"I'm shopping today so I'm going to need pack mules to carry all of my purchases back to the hotel. Lucky for you two, I just started! Come on," Pietrica announced, waving them to follow her as she went back toward the dress shop. She still had shopping to do there because she had been rudely interrupted.

"Pack mules," Ace muttered, shoving his hands in pockets. He kicked a rock and poked out his bottom lip successfully completely his look of a pouty little boy.

"She did pay our tab and keep us from being kicked off the island," Luffy reminded him a bit too enthusiastically.

"I know that," his brother grumbled in return.

"Besides, how much stuff can one woman buy?"

Luffy was about to find out. He was going to be shocked.

Four hours later, Luffy and Ace were following, or they assumed they were following, Pietrica back to the hotel. Bags hung off of the arms from their shoulders to their wrists and boxes were stacked so high in their arms that they could not see over them. The redheaded shopaholic had bought everything available for purchase under the sun, including some things that never would see the light of day. She had bought dresses, blouses, skirts, panties, bras, swimsuits, shoes, scarves, towels, dinnerware, jewelry, and more stuff than they could recall. It seemed that if it was for sale, she bought it. Finally, they were on their way back to her hotel room with all of the purchases.

"I'm tired," Luffy whined, his arms aching with fatigue.

"Me too," Ace mumbled, groaning when a box slide and hit in the forehead. It was a heavy box full of ceramic dinner plates handmade by the owner of the shop that sold dishes. "Ouch!"

"Almost there, boys. At least the shopping trip is over. Ace, will you be going to get ready for our date once this stuff is dropped off?"

"I will? Is that part of this agreement?"

"No. It had nothing to do with the agreement. Do you really think I'd need to bribe someone into taking me out?" she demanded, her ego smarting from the intentional insult. At least, she hoped it was not a purposeful slight. "You asked me out before that, remember?"

"Oh...yeah." _Crap._ He looked over at Luffy to see the kid grinning ear to ear. If he had a free hand, he would have smacked him.

"We don't have to go. I would hate for you to think it's some kind of chore or something to take me out," she muttered, unlocking her room door.

"That's not what I meant, I - "

"You can just put that stuff over there," Pietrica directed them, pointing to the table and chairs in the corner of the room. Once her pack mules unloaded all of her purchases, piling them high on the table and filling the chairs, they turned to look at her. She gave them a friendly smile before saying, "Thank you, gentlemen. You were a great help today. As far as I'm concerned, your debt is paid."

"Hooray!" Luffy yelled, throwing his hat into the air joyously. "I'm out of here. I'm starving."

"Pay for it this time or you can look forward to another day of hard labor. Next time it will cleaning the barnacles off of my ship," she threatened, finding it difficult to be genuinely upset with the lively young pirate Captain with the straw hat.

"Yes, ma'am," he returned politely before hightailing it out of her room.

"You can leave now, Ace. It's over," she said, giving him a stern look.

"What about our date?" he questioned her, watching her as she reached up to remove the necklace of tiny square golden plates from around her neck. He guessed she was a rich woman, but she was definitely not a snobbish, spoiled female accustomed to wealth and luxury.

"What about it?" she inquired offhandedly, pulling off the golden bangle bracelets from around her wrists to lay them on the dresser beside the necklace. She was hot and sweaty, and ready for a shower. If he continued to stand there, he would get a show to remember as she continued to take off everything in preparation for a shower. Her clothes were next. She paused briefly before starting to disrobe, staring at him as she waited for an answer to her question.

"I'd still like to take you out," he responded, walking toward the door.

"Give me thirty minutes. I'll be ready," she told him, grabbing the bottom of her t-shirt in preparation to pull it over her head.

"Okay." Ace resisted the urge to turn around and watch her undress. Instead, he walked out of the door to return to his room for a shower.

True to her word, thirty minutes later exactly, Pietrica was knocking on his door. She had chosen to wear a simple lime green halter dress that tied around her neck with a skirt that skimmed the floor. Her hair had been braided into one thick braid that nearly reached her waist. When Ace opened the door, he was dressed as he had been before in the long black shorts, no shirt, and heavy black boots. Obviously he had about dozen pairs of the black cargo shorts that seemed to be part of his trademark look. Of course his shaggy black hair was covered with the orange hat with the two smiley face buttons on the front; one that smiled happily and the other that frowned in sadness. She held a definite appreciation for his minimalist way of dressing. Foregoing a shirt left his well built torso on display. His tattoos were on full display as well, including the purple one that covered his back and advertised to the world his pirate affiliation. She already knew that he was the commander of Whitebeard's second division of pirates. Being a pirate hunter, she made it a point to know everything about every pirate who bore a good bounty on his head. She also knew that the crossed out S in the middle of his name tattooed vertically down his left bicep was to honor his other adopted brother, Sabo. It had surprised her to see him here without his crew. But then it shouldn't have surprised her because he was here to spend time with his brother Luffy. How sweet. Speaking of brothers, she still had no idea where her brother had gone. Perhaps Romeo was still holed up with the orange haired young woman from the Straw Hat crew. He would have to reappear soon because their vacation would be coming to an end in five days. Then it would be back to the reality of chasing down pirates and arresting them before hauling them to their uncle's marine base to collect their bounty. She and her brother were an unstoppable team who rarely failed in capturing their intended target. Luffy had been the first pirate to escape their uncle's grasp. They would not be so boastful as to claim they that always got their pirate. Despite sometimes losing a bounty, they had still made an impressive sum of money for themselves which in turn enabled them to have a really comfortable life. They could stop being bounty hunters and live quite well for the rest of their lives. But they loved what they did. Maybe that was what made them so good at it.

Pietrica glanced at the man walking next to her. He was different than she had expected him to be. On his wanted posters, he looked so arrogant and full of himself. Although he was confident, his self assurance did not stem from a fragile ego that shielded itself with bravado and cockiness. However, she had heard that he possessed a hair trigger temper and was always ready for a fight. He had no problem obliging anyone who challenged him to an impromptu brawl. She nervously twisted her wrists causing the numerous golden bangles she wore to make a pleasant, almost musical, jingling sound.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking around at the various restaurants that lined the street on both sides. Her eyes landed on the sign of the noodle shop that bore a large bowl of ramen on it. It was for sure they were not going there. She almost giggled. She had enjoyed her day with the two brothers, especially their constant brotherly bickering. It had been a long time since she had laughed so much. Although Cary could be quite the comedian, a carefree light-hearted soul who did his best to keep her from being so serious, she grew tired of his jokes and snappy one liners. Her impatience and lack of interest could be attributed to the inordinate amount of time they spent together, therefore, she had heard them all before. She loved her brother but it would be nice to have another man in her life. Just once, she would like to fall in love with a man. Maybe he would love her back. The notion of 'falling in love' seemed silly and pointless, but she sure would like to try it to find out for herself. Sighing loudly, she realized she had been in love many times. She had experienced passing fascinations of the heart before but nothing like actual love. What was it like to really love a man rather than being momentarily obsessed? What would it be like to have him love her back? She wanted to know what it was like for a relationship to last more than one night or a few weeks, rife with pretty words and insincere romantic gestures of an ephemeral emotion that did not exist at all.

"There. How about that place?" he suggested, pointing at the two story restaurant that was completely open on the first floor like a portico. It looked nice and romantic with flowers and candles on every table. Waiters dressed in black pants and white tuxedo shirts with black bowties carried around fussy food on silver platters.

"Would you like that?" she inquired, wrinkling her nose. She hated artsy food in ridiculously small portions served by men with mousy mustaches and slicked back hair.

"No. Not really," he answered truthfully as they continued walking. He smiled, blowing out the breath he had been holding. He would have hated that place. Apparently, so would she.

"That one," she said, bringing his attention to another restaurant. The place looked like a ramshackle little cabin put together hurriedly out of weathered silvered wooden planks. To the side of the building, there was a spacious porch jam packed with white plastic tables and chairs. Strands of white lights decorated the boughs of the tree that made a makeshift roof over it. People were drinking beers and laughing loudly while dining on simple yet delicious food such as burgers and red beans and rice.

"Let's go." He took her by the hand to lead her up the few uneven steps into the homey joint.

PIetrica's heart beat faster when he touched her. Her head felt light. She was experiencing a distinct and disturbing sensation that could only be described as falling. Her fingers balled into a loose fist inside his palm that completely covered her hand as they were led to one of the tables on the porch. The beating of her heart stopped momentarily when he let her go. Immediately, the falling stopped. She dropped down into the chair, ordering two beers.

"What will you be having?" she asked Ace, eliciting a laugh from her dining companion and the waitress. She had been serious. The two beers were for her. One to take the edge off so she could relax. The second was just to enjoy. Oh, well, they could just order a second round with the appetizers.

"How much do you know about me?" Ace questioned her when the second round of beers had been ordered.

"Enough," she answered in a purposely ambiguous way with a secretive smile.

"Enough? What does that mean?" he pressed her.

"I know you were the Captain of the Spade Pirates before they were abducted and absorbed into Whitebeard's fold. And that includes you, Commander of Whitebeard's second division. I know you have a fantastic bounty on your head. One hundred million berries," she said, taking a sip of her beer straight from the bottle after the waitress sat it down.

"It's been raised to a hundred and seventy five million," he informed her, leaning over to dodge the spray of beer from her mouth. "So you're a bounty hunter?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she prepared to drop a truth on him that was more shocking than his lineage. "My uncle is a Marine Captain. Smoker."

"Smoker!" he blurted, returning the favor of spouting beer in her direction.

"Yep. The same man who chased your brother all around Alabasta. The same man who's ass you burned to enable Luffy to get away. I suppose we have a few good reasons to be enemies. Good thing we're in a neutral zone so it doesn't matter." She raised her beer bottle, receiving a clink from his in a toast to the neutral zone of Port Orleans.

"If you're anything like your uncle, you're pretty hardheaded and don't give up easily. Although he did not succeed in capturing Luffy, it was not for lack of trying. "

"The only thing I have in common with my uncle is being related to my mother. I'm a pirate hunter, not a Marine. I seek fortunes, and I get them in the form of bounties. I'm filthy, stinking rich, and I live a life of true freedom. I'm more than happy to take all of that bounty money from the World Government. My uncle is a moron by being a Marine and serving them so mindlessly. I refuse to be a pawn for the World Government."

"At least we agree about the World Government...and your uncle."

They raised their half empty bottles in another toast. After they finished the appetizer that consisted of a variety of shrimp, clams, and scallops that had been battered and fried, they ordered their next round of beers which allowed the conversation to become even more intense without becoming a fight.

"Do you plan on arresting me one day?" Ace asked her pointedly without bothering to beat around the bush. She seemed like a big girl, one who could handle such an abrupt question.

"One day...but not today," she responded, giving him a wink. She was feeling pretty good. Nice and relaxed, talking freely - perhaps too freely - with her date, the infamous Fire Fist Ace. "Hey, hot stuff, why did you eat the devil fruit? Didn't you know it would take away your ability to swim?"

"I honestly can't remember what I was thinking. At the time it apparently didn't matter that it would make me sink like a rock to the bottom of the ocean," he answered, finishing off his beer while signaling the waitress for more. "I guess the temptation for the power was too great."

"Do you often give into tempation so easily?" She looked at him through alcohol glazed eyes while giving him a goofy, sideways smile that belonged to the half blitzed.

"Depends on what I'm being tempted with," he returned, watching the blush as red as her hair spread from her hairline down her neck. "You're beautiful in red."

They red both laughed loudly at that wisecrack. Once they finished their meal of spicy red beans and rice, they skipped dessert and ordered two more beers for the road. Not ready for their evening to end, they decided to walk down to the beach. Sitting on the sand side by side, they listened to the waves roll in from the deepest part of the ocean before they finally crashed into the shore. Silence stretched between them but neither one felt the need to disturb the peace with unnecessary words. Besides, they had talked plenty during dinner. They had even discussed their plans for the rest of the week. Both of them would be leaving in five days. She would return to being a pirate hunter, and he would return to being a pirate. Until then, they were just Pietrica and Ace, two people enjoying a vacation on the island of Orleans. And delighting in each other's company.

Pietrica lay back in the soft, powdery sand, staring at the sky above them. A smile curled her lips when Ace lay down beside her, his hand brushing the back of hers. Her stomach tightened while her heart thumped painfully against her ribs when his hand turned, his fingers teasingly brushing over hers. His palm lay open next to her hand in an invitation. She accepted, laying her hand in his. She held her breath when his fingers loosely curved around her hand to hold it. Her smile broadened into a cheshire cat grin as they stared at the stars above them.

"I love the stars," she murmured, holding her breath when his fingers tightened momentarily tp squeeze her hand with affection.

"It's one of the things I really like about being on the sea. You never look at the same sky twice. Every night, a new light show awaits you," he rejoined, his voice soft with drowsiness.

"Do you think you could ever stop being a pirate?" Her eyes scanned the twinkling stars as if she were seeking her future in them. She knew this relationship had absolutely no chance of success and would not last past the end of the week. _Five days of something fabulous would be better than a lifetime of nothing_, the little voice inside her head told her. Somehow she doubted she would agree with that statement six days from now.

"I could never stop being a pirate. That would be like asking me to give up breathing. It's a part of me. It's in my blood."

Pietrica had never heard truer words spoken by a pirate. Being the son of Pirate King Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge, being a pirate had absolutely been bred and born into him. She managed to withhold her sigh of frustration. She knew how detrimental and life altering one's lineage could be to a person. Although her family had tried to hide her father's identity from her, she had found out by accident when going through some old trunks in the attic of their house one day. She was sure her mother had left the letters and pictures there for her to find. Her father was Red-Haired Shanks, the Captain of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Yonko. The Yonko was a group consisting of the four most powerful and famous pirates of the world who control and regulate the New World, the second half of the Grand Line. Her mother knew him before he was any of these things. Red-Haired Shanks was a seventeen year old boy who had just started his career as a pirate. He was nothing more than a cabin boy for Gol D. Roger with dreams of grandeur and a love of the ocean. Shanks had arrived with his Captain and fellow crew members to visit the Pirate King's home town, the city of Loguetown. Priscilla, her mother, had been sixteen and the daughter of the Marine Captain at the time, when she met the handsome red haired young man. It had been love at first sight for both, and they had succumbed to their youthful desires and raging hormones. Priscilla's pregnancy was hidden from her family until the inevitable happened: the birth of the fraternal twins with hair as red as the roses that grew outside of her bedroom window. Although her parents knew the identity of the father, the hair color being a tragic giveaway, the young woman had been forbidden to inform the father that he had two children. Her mother had collected momentos though, including a photograph of the two of them taken together during his stay in Loguetown. Her mother had written letters, hundreds of them, beginning with the day she met the red haired cabin boy of the Roger Pirates until the day she succumbed to her illness. Priscilla wrote at great length about her romance with Shanks; the feelings of course rather than the graphic details of specific events that resulted in the birth of Pietrica and Cary. She wrote a letter every day of her pregnancy, then for every week after their birth, chronicling every detail of her life with her children. Her twins were raised as her younger brother and sister to prevent any shame from coming to the elite family of the Marine Captain. Since no one in the family had red hair and the matriarch was beyond child bearing age, the children were reported as being adopted. If anyone knew the truth, they certainly kept it to themselves. Their lives were probably the reward for keeping their mouths shut. Priscilla's brother, Smoker, had been away at the Marine Academy preparing to follow in his father's footsteps. Being none the wiser, and seeing how much his beloved sister loved the two little supposed adoptees, he had loved them too. He had vowed to take care of them, to raise them to be respectable people who Priscilla could be proud of even in her death. To his dismay, neither child wanted to become a Marine. He had been able to come to terms with their choice of being pirate hunters because at least they weren't pirates.

"What are you thinking about over there? You're awfully quiet," Ace said, rolling onto his side to prop up on his elbow so he could look at her. He still held her hand in his.

"I'm not thinking about anything," she lied, giving him a smile. Since the stars did not give off much light, surely he would not be able to see her lower lip quivering. How would her mother feel if she knew her daughter was following in her footsteps? Would she be upset that her daughter was falling in love with a pirate just like she had done? Or would she be happy because her daughter had said to hell with family propriety to decide for herself who she wanted to love?

"Hey, Pietrica," he murmured, reaching out to touch her cheek lightly with his fingertips.

"What, Ace?" Her eyes did not stray from the sparkling white dots above them.

"Do you think you could ever stop being a pirate hunter?" Applying delicate pressure to her cheek with the very tips of his fingers, he turned her head so her gaze would fall upon him.

"It depends on the reason. But yeah, I think I could," she told him giving him an answer that was probably more honest than it should have been.

Ace smiled at her; an ear to ear grin expressing extreme happiness. He slowly lowered himself back down to a prone position beside her.

Pietrica was surprised and a bit disappointed because he had not kissed her. But he was still holding her hand as if he never wanted to let it go. It was her turn for a big smile. She grinned ecstatically at the stars.

_You are falling in love with him, _her inner voice informed her as if she did not already know.

'Yeah, maybe so,' the other half of her brain thought in return.

_It's a mistake._

'I'm doing it anyway,' she stubbornly argued with herself.

_Fine, fine, be an idiot. Just wait until your brother finds out._

'He has no room to talk. He's had many flings, including one now, with pretty female pirates.'

_But masculine double standards apply. What's okay for him is __not __okay for you._

Well, shit.


	3. Chapter 3

Pietrica came to full wakefulness in an instant when powerful fingers wrapped around her neck. She grabbed the person's wrist while twisting it as she pulled the hand away from her throat. Turning the man's arm at an angle that would cause the assailant to instantly lose strength and his balance, she blindly kicked her leg for a sweep to take him down. Quickly rolling toward the man, she rolled right on top of him and onto her knees. With a knee pressed to his throat to cut off his air supply and her other knee jammed into his diaphragm to prevent him from taking a breath even if he could get air, she had completely incapacitated her unknown attacker. She had ripped the necklace from her neck that also doubled as a weapon because the edges of the gold plates were sharpened so they would cut like razors. Squinting her eyes against the blinding sun that reflected off of the knife-like plates, she held the necklace to the artery that pulsed madly on the side of the man's neck. The adrenaline rush began to subside which enabled her to discern the identity of her assailant. Two familiar ebony eyes locked onto her silvery blue ones. Her brother appeared to be amused. She was not.

"Cary! You idiot!" she hollered, climbing off of his broad naked chest. Her brother and Ace shared an aversion to shirts. "I could have killed you, you moron!"

"Nice to see your reflexes haven't dulled," he muttered, his voice raspy as he rubbed his throat. He coughed which sent a stab of pain through his bruised diaphragm. He massaged the throbbing muscles just below his sternum. "Ugh...that's gonna hurt for a while."

"Good. You deserve it," she grouchily retorted, kicking sand at him.

"Who's that? Latest obsession?" Cary inquired, jerking his head toward Ace.

Ace snored lightly under his hat that covered his face to block out the sun. His hands were folded behind his head to support it as he snoozed on the sand. He had slept through the whole thing.

"Portgas D. Ace. And he's not - "

"Fire Fist Ace?"

"Yes. And he's not an obsession," she answered testily since he had interrupted her. "Speaking of that Romeo, where's your latest Juliet?"

"Nami? She's at her hotel room getting ready. I'm taking her out for lunch. What are you going to do today?" he asked, noticing his sister was holding her head. "Gonna sleep that hangover off?"

"I'll probably go back to the hotel, change into my swimsuit, and go to the pool. I can drink a few of those fruity girlie drinks that you favor while I paddle around in the cool water and wait for the elephants to stop stampeding inside my head," she moaned miserably, closing her eyes. She pulled her knees up to rest her head on them. Her head felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds, and her brain throbbed inside of her skull.

"I don't know why you insist on drinking beer when you know it does that to you. The hard stuff never gives you a hangover. Besides, by drinking those girlie drinks I know what kind of drinks women like. Drink a few rum punches for me," he said jovially, standing to his feet.

"I'd like to give you a punch," she muttered grouchily. "Why did you do that anyway?"

"I was testing your reaction, making sure you can still take care of yourself. I see that I have nothing to worry about," he returned, a hint of pride in his voice. "I was worried when you didn't come back to the room last night."

"Hah! Seriously? Like you didn't come back the night before? Did it occur to you that I might have been worried then?"

"Yeah, but it's different. I'm a man."

"You're an idiot. And no it's not," she argued, waiting patiently for his rebuttal. No immediate reply came from her usually quick witted brother who could argue his way out of nearly anything. She raised her head to look at him, surprised to see that he had turned his back to her and was staring out at the waves while deep in thought.

"You're right. It's not," he rejoined with a tone of reluctant agreement.

"What?" she questioned him, doubtful she had heard him correctly. Had he actually agreed with her? She could not believe that he was not going to lecture her like an impotent hypocrite about the dangers of staying out all night with a stranger.

"I was scared to death when I couldn't find you. While I was looking for you, I had already made up my mind to give you a scolding and maybe even a good old fashioned ass whoopin' just to make my point. When you got the best of me just now, it made me realize something. You're no longer a little girl who needs my protection," he said, kneeling down in front of her to shield her from the sun. He could tell that the light shining in her eyes was making her headache worse when she was trying to look up at him as he spoke. Reaching out to her, he touched her face.

"Cary, I haven't needed your protection for a very long time. We've been pirate hunters since we were sixteen. You should know that I'm capable of taking care of myself by now," she told him, pressing her cheek into his palm that cupped her face. "You taught me most of what I know."

"This is true. You had an awesome teacher." He leaned forward, kissing her cocky grin faded from his lips. "Do you know what my greatest fear is, Sis?"

Pietrica shook her head, closing one eye so she could see just one of her brother in front of her as she looked at him.

"What I fear most is the day you will leave me. The time is coming when you will move on to live your own life, to do your own thing...without me," he confessed, giving her a self-conscious grin. "But it's only right that you do so. And I'll do the same."

Pietrica smiled back at him. Her brother did not often talk about serious emotional matters. Talking about emotions, especially the warm fuzzy ones, made him exceptionally uncomfortable. Like any man, he did not like to admit weakness, always preferring to be strong and invincible for the women in his life. This was a rare moment indeed for her brother. Glancing back at Ace who was still blissfully unaware of the conversation taking place between the siblings, she wondered if Cary could sense something about that man, about how she felt about him, that had brought this on. As twins they had always shared a special bond. Sometimes no words were required to know what the other was thinking or feeling. Unfortunately, everything that Cary feared in the deepest part of his heart was an inevitable part of life. But he knew that day would come and was preparing for it. Perhaps, the process had already started.

"Cary," she mumbled, tears tightening her throat. She wished she could not tell him that it was not true, that she would always be with him. But that would be a lie. Some lies she could not bring herself to say. Sitting up on her knees, she hugged him by sliding her arms around his waist. "None of that means I'll ever stop being your sister. Just because things will change doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. It's just...life."

"You're right. When did you get so smart?" He gave her a smile despite the tears that shone in his dark eyes. She had always been the smarter, more mature of the two of them, with a level head and serious demeanor. He was the impulsive, fun loving clown. Her growing up meant he would have to so as well. He stood to his feet, beating at his dark gray yukata pants to knock the sand off. "Anyway, I've got to go. I'll see you later. How about dinner?"

"Sure. That sounds great," she replied, watching him sadly as he walked away.

"So dinner tonight is out?" Ace inquired, raising the hat from his face.

Pietrica slowly stood to her feet keeping her back to him. She wondered how long he had been awake and how much of their conversation he had eavesdropped on. She didn't ask him though.

"Yes. But I'm free afterward. Care for another moonlit stroll on the beach?" she asked, turning to see him standing to his feet. She walked toward him to assist him with getting the sand off of his back where he could not reach. Her hand lightly brushed over his skin to knock off the grains of sand without rubbing them into his skin. She pressed her other hand against the waist of his shorts to hold them against his body so the sand would not fall into them. Although he was wearing a belt, it was threaded through the loops loosely and did not hold his clothing snug to his body. She could feel his body stiffen apprehensively as her other hand moved downward on his back to remove more of the sand.

"What about hanging out at the pool with me? I don't mind relaxing away a hangover with you," he said, turning his face to be parallel with his shoulder so he could somewhat see her standing behind him.

"Are you sure? Kinda didn't seem like your thing when I mentioned it yesterday," she said, knocking off the last bit of sand with a wave of her hand just over the waist of his pants. Her palms pressed flat to the lower part of his back and began to slide upward slowly. Her palms glided over every bulging muscle to feel the firmness under his smooth skin. Some of the muscles flexed and quavered when her hands moved across them.

"What are you doing?" he asked as her hands slid up the back of his neck and her fingers curled into his long hair.

"Nothing. Just curious," she murmured, her hands descending after tousling his shaggy hair.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," he said, a smug grin tilting his lips.

"I'm not a cat," she retorted, sliding her hands around his waist. She stepped up behind him, pressing her breasts to his back while her palms flattened against his hard, ridged abdomen. "But if I was, I'm sure satisfaction would bring me back."

Ace pulled his hat down on his head to shield his eyes from the sun. He chuckled lightly as he peeled her hands from his belly. Holding her arms out, he turned to face her then set her hands on his hips. Looking down at her, he cupped her finely sculpted jaws in his hands.

Pietrica was melting from the heat of the sun and the heat that was growing between them as they stood together silently gazing into each others eyes. Her lips parted slightly to speak when his thumb rubbed over her bottom lip. She found herself unable to say a single word.

"There was something I meant to give to you last night," he told her, tenderly stroking across her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Oh? What is that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyelids lowered as his head bent to bring their mouths together. She inhaled deeply when his lips, warm from his body heat and slightly wet from where he had licked them, pressed to hers. There was a hint of salty taste from the salt the sea air had deposited on their lips. She released the breath she had been holding when his lips lifted from hers. Before she could inhale again, he pressed his lips back to hers for a firmer, more ardent kiss. Her fingers clamped onto his waist to hold herself up when her knees turned to jelly. He kissed her with a gentle, unassuming pressure, allowing his lips to dawdle pleasantly on hers. When he removed his lips this time, she kept her eyes closed to savor the sensation of the kiss and wanting to soak every sensation into her brain. The waves crashed on the shore but could not drown out the beating of her heart in her ears. The sea gulls crying overhead seemed to be calling out to her 'moron, moron.' Was it really so bad to feel something that could possibly be real? Time would tell for sure. She had learned that time would always offer the answers to any question.

"Shall we go back to the hotel?" Ace asked, skimming his hand over her disheveled hair that had been perfectly smooth last night. His fingers gripped her braid, pulling it over her shoulder while sliding down to the end. A mischievous glint appeared in his black eyes just before he used the tufted end of her hair to tickle her nose. When she giggled like a child, he smiled at her with a toothy grin that made her heart thump heavily in her chest.

"Sure. I'm about ready for a swim anyway," she said, dropping her hands from his body. When his fingers grasped her hand, she smiled with happiness that welled and overflowed inside of her. Elation made her heart jump in her chest as they walked toward the hotel.

"I'll stay poolside while you swim around. Deal?"

"Deal. I've got to go to my room. I'll meet you there. Okay?"

"Okay."

After a brief visit to her room, Pietrica changed into a bikini with gold and ivory beads threaded onto the thin straps that tied around her body keeping the tiny bits of turquoise colored material over they places they were meant to be kept from view. She had underwear that covered more area than the bikini. Once she grabbed two towels, she hurried back to the pool. Offering one of the towels to Ace, he took it while she accepted the pink colored drink in a tall glass complete with a fruit salad skewered on a small plastic sword. Yep. The drink was indeed girlie and fruity. Her brother would approve. Taking a sip, she grimaced at the overwhelming sweetness but did not give in to the impulse to go order a beer. Sitting the drink on the table between two lounge chairs, one of which was already occupied by a dozing Ace, she threw her towel over the other before jumping into the pool. Since it was the middle of the day, other hotel guests were either shopping, eating, or napping so they were the only people at the pool. She swam until her muscles began to ache then floated on her back while lazily paddling in the cool water. Her body was coasting near the edge of the pool when a shadow covered her. Opening one eye, she could see the black outline of a man with a hat. This looked incredibly familiar.

"That looks like fun. I wish I could go in there," Ace said, looking down at her with a wistful smile.

"You can," she replied, standing up to show him it was shallow. The water barely touched the underside of her breasts. Since she was much shorter than him, he would have no problem keeping his head above the water.

"I don't know," he rejoined warily, pushing back his hat to wipe the sweat off of his forehead.

"Come on. Just for a minute...to cool off. I'll be right here. I won't let you sink," she promised, moving back from the edge as he sat down to hang his legs over into the water.

"It does feel good," he murmured, dragging his fingers through the water as he kicked his feet. He cupped his hand under the water to fill it before splashing the pretty redhead.

"Come on," she urged him, giggling and throwing water back at him.

Ace sighed in relief as the cold drops hit his hot skin. It was obvious to her that he wanted to get into the water and that it made him sad because he couldn't. How difficult must it be for a pirate to live his whole life around water but never be able to get into it? The only time his body touched water was when taking a shower or a bath. Pietrica swam back to the edge of the pool where he was sitting. She stood up between his legs, laying her arms on top of his thighs. The water from her skin soaked into the cotton material of his shorts. She doubted he minded if she got them wet. The hot sun would quickly dry them anyway. A smile lifted the edges of her mouth as he brushed his fingers across her forehead then her cheeks.

"You look happy," he commented, pressing his palm against her cheek. "You're skin feels so nice and cool."

"Come in with me," she begged, noticing his mouth opened to protest. She raised her hand, her fingertips barely touching his cheek as her pale, almost colorless, blue eyes gazed into his. "Trust me, Ace. Please."

Ace closed his mouth, the muscles at the sides of his jaw twitching. Apparently he must be arguing with himself instead of her. Pietrica moved back as he slowly lowered his body into the water in front of her. She took his hand, pulling him with her as she urged him to a deeper part of the pool. Her eyes stayed on his face to watch his expression as the water slowly began to rise up his chiseled abs. She stopped when the water reached his chest just below his nipples because he gasped and his eyes opened wide as if he were terrified.

"Are you okay?" she asked with deep concern, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"It's cold. That's all," he assured her.

Pietrica's eyes moved down his chest to see that his brown nipples had shrunk into tiny, hard points. She put her arms around his neck, holding her body to his chest. In her attempt to relieve his suffering because she knew how uncomfortable that could be, her body responded in kind as her nipples constricted into aching, rigid bumps.

"Are you cold too?" he asked in a whisper, his lips close to her ear.

"Ace!" she squeaked, her face growing warm with embarrassment. She tried to pull away, but he would not allow her to move away from him.

"Just stay with me. It's okay," he assured her, pressing his palm against her back between her shoulder blades to hold her to his body. "I don't want to go any deeper into the water."

"This if far enough then," she agreed, laying her head on his shoulder as he continued to hold her close. She closed her eyes to revel in his touch, feeling quite content in his arms.

"Pietrica?"

"Hmmmm?"

"What is going to happen when this is over? When we go back to our normal lives?" he questioned her.

"I'm not sure," she answered truthfully, raising her head to look at him. "What do you want to happen?"

"I-I don't know," he stammered, his eyes sliding from hers down to her mouth then back up again. "I know what I want to happen right now."

"What's that?" Once again, she was treated to a delicate kiss that was bold yet not demanding. She had never been kissed a way that was so sweet and unassuming. Her hand pressed against the side of his neck, her fingers twisting into his hair. Her lips parted in an invitation for more. When his tongue gingerly touched the opening between her lips, it was as if a Molotov cocktail exploded inside of her, dousing every part of her body in sensual flames. She encompassed his waist with her legs while wrapping her arms securely around his shoulders as his tongue slid between her lips. She was afraid that if she did not hang onto him tightly, she would just disappear from the extreme lightness that entered her body making her feel lighter than air. Her tongue gently moved back against his to show her acceptance of the intimate gesture. She opened her mouth wider, enticing him to explore more, to taste more of her. When he did so, she moaned, holding his head between her hands as she stroked her tongue across his in return. All too soon, the hedonistic dance of their tongues drew to a close as their mouths parted so they could breathe.

"Can we go back to your room?" Ace asked her breathlessly, his mouth hovering over hers.

Pietrica was excited by the promise of another kiss but terrified of what would happen if they went back to her room. Although she had been kissed before, she had always shied away from the big event. She was still a virgin. Her mother was sixteen when she had lost her virginity. That event had also resulted in the pregnancy that led to her and Cary's birth. She and her brother had been four years old by the time their mother was their age. Cary had fearlessly lost his virginity four years ago following in mom's footsteps, but she was far more reserved - and scared. He couldn't get pregnant either like she could. She did not want to be left alone and pregnant, to always be separated from the man she loved. Her body began to tremble.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have asked," Ace told her, his tanned skin turning a deep red across his high freckled cheekbones.

"It's not that I don't want to..." Her words trailed off. She was not ready to go into any details about her past to explain why the prospect of sex frightened her. It was bad enough that she had divulged the identity of her uncle so easily.

Pietrica knew that she had a tendency to leak major revelations when she shouldn't. Just like when she should have kept it to herself when she found out the truth about her family. She had just turned twelve when she had been playing in the attic and found the trunk full of memoirs her mother had left. In her childish foolishness, she had run downstairs to share with her family the astounding discovery that she had made. Her mistaken belief that her family had fabricated so many lies, even living out some of them, were to protect her and Cary from humiliation. In reality, the lies were only to save themselves shame. The man she knew as he father, who was her grandfather in actuality, had launched into a red faced tirade of anger and denial when she had said that her father was a pirate. Her grandfather had eventually suffered a lethal heart attack in the coming months as he struggled to hide the truth like never before, even from himself. Her rightful grandmother had fallen ill, going to bed one day to not get out of it until two years later when she was carried to her final resting place in the cemetery.

Smoker was the only one who had never said a word in anger or taken ill due to overwhelming emotional distress. He struggled to continue raising the children his beloved sister had left behind. She had given birth to them and had lived under a veil of secrecy to please their parents. Her daily emotional torment had eventually led to her early death at the age of twenty-two when her children were only six years old. He vowed to honor her memory by taking care of her children and to raise them to be decent, respectful humans, but he would give them something their parents never gave his sister - a choice. When the twins were sixteen, he allowed them to choose their own path in life, even permitting them to call him Uncle, his rightful title, instead of brother. Their uncle had not been pleased with their desire to be pirate hunters but he honored their decision nonetheless. Cary had explained their decision was made in an effort to hunt down their father to arrest him and many other pirates while making a lot of money. Uncle Smoker had gladly agreed to permit it, confident with the knowledge that the twins would take revenge on pirates and not become pirates themselves. If only he knew what was happening now, he would be rethinking his decision.

"It's okay. There's no reason to rush into sex," he told her, kissing her forehead. "I need to get out of here. Maybe you should go to your room, alone, for a nap."

"Yes, I should," she agreed, unwrapping her body from his. She held his hand as they both walked to end of the pool where the cement steps were built into the side. Her hand stayed in his as they ascended together from the water. A gasp escaped her lips when he suddenly pulled her into his arms as soon as they stepped onto the dry concrete. She sighed happily while he hugged her before tipping up her chin to give her another kiss which inflamed her body. He could manipulate flames in more ways than he knew.

"Go to sleep, okay? You're going to need that nap. We're going to be up late because we have a date tonight, remember?" he whispered, relinquishing his hold on her body.

"Oh, yes, I remember," she whispered back as if it were a secret. It was only a secret from one person, and he was not here. That person was back in Loguetown, toiling away at his cherished Marine base. Her heart that had sank to her toes moments before, took flight and soared to the clear blue sky overhead.

~...~

Pietrica was gently awakened this time by her brother. She assumed he had grown impatient waiting for her to wake up but had taken extra care not to startle her again to prevent her from attacking him. Rolling away from him, she growled something that vaguely resembled a grumpy warning to leave her alone.

"But Sis!" he cried out, lying down next to her to embrace her body that was wrapped up in the sheet like a mummy. He hugged her tightly, so hard she could barely breathe. "I love you! Please, get up and spend some time with me!"

"Cary! Why in the hell do you have to be so damn annoying?" she snarled, flopping around like a fish out of water to free herself from the full body bear hug.

"Because I'm your brother that's why," he responded, letting her go. He chuckled at her as she wiggled to emerge from her cotton cocoon. Slapping her on the behind, he laughed louder when she nearly rolled off of the bed to get away from him before he could swat her again. He yowled like a wounded animal when she pinched his nipple in retribution for her stinging behind. "You're so damn mean. You're one vicious butterfly."

"And you're an irritating mosquito," she retorted, hearing him emit a fake sob as if she had hurt his feelings. "Oh, you're such a funny guy."

"Yeah, I know. I'm amazing," he said, hearing her groan in response from the bathroom. "Hey, wear something nice. I'm taking you to that fancy schmancy place."

"Cary, you know I hate those kinds of places," she moaned, turning on the shower.

"I wanted our last dinner together to be special," he returned.

"What?"

"Nothing." He stood up from her bed to change his clothes while she was in the shower.

When Pietrica emerged from the hot shower, she was treated to a steam bath as well because there was so much steam in the bathroom. She retreated into the closet attached to the bathroom to retrieve the coral colored halter dress made of a lightweight cotton that floated around her ankles. Buying new sandals to replace the ones she had left in the bar had been a must. So to be on the safe side, she had bought four new pair, one specifically to match this dress. A gold chain was braided with a coral colored ribbon that formed the straps on the low heeled dressy sandals. After brushing out her hair that had been a tangled mess from washing it three times to get rid of all of the salt, sand, sweat, and chlorine, she twisted it up into a loose bun that she pinned to the back of her head. Not bothering with make up, she walked out of the bathroom to see her brother dressed in a black dress pants, a black short sleeved button down shirt, and flip flops. She rolled her eyes and giggled.

"What?" Cary asked self-consciously checking his appearance in the mirror. He had braided his hair to keep it out of his face. The hair was great, the clothes were great...so what was her problem? He smooth back his hair with his hand and shrugged.

"You're gorgeous," she complimented him, flipping his heavy braid as she walked behind him. "I hope the men at the restaurant aren't jealous that I'll be there with the prettiest man out of all of them."

"Shut up," he good naturedly muttered, giving her his trademark lopsided grin that made him look eight years old all over again. He never had grown out of that silly grin. Holding out his arm for her, he waited for her to take it so he could escort her to the restaurant. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," she sighed, threading her arm through his. Even though she did not care too much for stuffy restaurants with art on a plate, she knew it was important to him to feel like he was indulging her.

Cary was as pampered as he was pretty. He loved the finer things in life and could be something of a snob. He preferred champagne over beer, fine dining over burgers and fries, and expensive, but typically minimal, clothing. Her brother spent more time in salons than she ever did, getting facials and manicures and massages. When other men teased him it, it never bothered him because he knew something they didn't know about spending a day at the spa. When visiting a salon, a man was surrounded by women. The women who worked there doted on him, petted him, and touched him constantly while asking if they could bring him food, drinks, or their addresses so he could come over later for a visit. Not only did the employees engage in some heavy duty swooning, so did the fellow patrons who were female. Spending the day getting spoiled and fussed over by beautiful women was better than spending the day with drunk, sweaty men in a bar. He was quick to find any salons, spas, or bath houses whenever they sailed into a new port.

Cary led her into the restaurant the she and Ace had bypassed the night before. Without saying a word or having to give his name, the cute brunette at the front grabbed two menus and waved for them to follow her. Pietrica shook her head in amazement at her brother. He had the ability to get almost any woman to do his bidding. They were led upstairs to the second floor, enclosed dining room. There was a dance floor in the middle of the room that was surrounded by the dining tables. She suddenly understood why he had wanted to bring her here. He loved dancing. When their mother was alive, she had filled the house with music, singing, dancing, and laughter. Even after their mother had died, they continued the tradition of music and dancing to honor their mother's memory by keeping happiness alive in the household. Their Uncle had enrolled them in professional dance lessons at the Academy of Arts in Loguetown. Emotional trauma aside, they had led a somewhat charmed childhood. If only they had been able to have their mother in their lives for more than six years, that would have made their childhood perfect.

Pietrica passed on the raw oyster appetizer in favor of a local favorite, gumbo and rice. She kept to benign topics such as her shopping trip the day before then skipping to discussing future plans as to who they would go after when they leave in a few days.

"What bounty is next?" she asked, shoveling the bite of baked potato dripping with butter and sour cream into her mouth.

"I'm not sure. We'll go through the wanted posters when he get out to open sea," he answered, taking a sip of white wine. His eyebrows drew together over his nose as he grimaced with distaste. It was not the wine that left a bad taste in his mouth but the topic of conversation. He was not ready to think about business and getting back to 'real' life. As long as they were on holiday, he preferred to stay in a holiday state of mind. There was also something else he wanted to talk about. "So Fire Fist Ace has caught your attention. And apparently you have his as well."

"Yes. And?" She forked more food into her mouth.

"Has he seen you eat?"

Pietrica rolled her eyes while chewing the food she had crammed into her mouth.

"And he still wanted to see you again?" he continued not allowing his sister to ignore him.

"Cary," she whined, putting down her fork on her plate rather than throwing it him.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Lighten up, Sis," he murmured, refilling his wine glass and hers. "You don't have to tell me any details about what's going on but - "

"There's nothing to tell. Oh, I will be going for a night stroll on the beach with him," she told him.

"Oh, that's romantic. How nice. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if there's anything between the two of you, just - "

"It's too soon to know."

"Am I going to be able to finish a single sentence without you cutting me off? Stop being so defensive," he muttered. "As I was saying...if you think there is something there, go after it until you find out. Don't let the possibility of finding true love pass you by."

Pietrica remained silent. She knew her brother was a romantic as heart, but this was almost too much. Cloying sentiment had never been something that appealed to her much. She picked at her dessert that had just arrived - bread pudding covered in a thick, sugary whiskey sauce. She had been waiting to try this. Her brother had successfully killed her appetite.

"Why are you bringing this up?" she asked. She wanted to clear the air between them so she could enjoy her dessert.

"I think that sometimes you've pushed away men because you didn't want to leave me. Or was it because you didn't want to end up like mom?" he inquired, noticing the strong emotion that flashed through her eyes briefly. "You're not her. Things will be different for you."

"I certainly want them to be," she murmured, not feeling better at all.

"You're already different. Don't take this as disrespecting our mother, but she was never strong, of mind or heart, like you. Now eat your dessert. You owe me a dance then you can go see your boyfriend," he told her.

"He's not my - " She stopped talking when her brother gave her an incredulous glance complete with an eyebrow cocked in disbelief. She wasn't going to argue with him. The resulting indigestion would not be worth it. She was ready to eat her bread pudding.

Once dessert was over, it was time to dance. The first song was a fast salsa number that had her brother putting her through the paces around the dance floor. Thankfully, the next song was a slower song. Pietrica lay her head on her brother's shoulder as he led her in a simple box step.

"Cary, I used to be so sure about my life. I knew what I wanted, who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to live. I'm not so sure anymore," she admitted, sighing when his hand gripped hers more tightly and his arm tightened around her waist.

"You're growing up apparently. People change. Perhaps the man who has made you question everything is worth pursuing to see if he is the answer to at least one of those questions," he told her, ceasing the movement of his feet when the music stopped. He smiled down at his sister when she looked up at him. "Go to him."

Pietrica hugged her brother before turning to leave.

"I only have one request," he called after her, reaching out for the cute little hostess who happened to be walking by after seating customers. He twirled her around and dipped her before standing the giggling, blushing woman back up to send her on her way. "Save the first dance at your wedding for me."

"I definitely will," she replied, gingerly raising the hem of her dress by gathering the fabric in her hands at her thighs. She shuffled hurriedly past the other restaurant patrons to go down the stairs. Once she was out of the restaurant, she hopped on one leg to remove her shoe before doing the same on the other leg. She could run faster without shoes. Running all the way to the hotel left her breathless. Knocking on the door of Ace's room, she panted heavily to catch her breath. When he opened the door, she wheezed, "Are you ready for that walk?"

"Are you?" he asked doubtfully, pulling her into the room. He pushed her down to sit on the bed before pouring her a glass of water. "Here. Just rest a minute. What have you been doing?"

"I ran all the way here from that black tie restaurant," she explained, gulping down the water.

"You were in that big of a hurry to see me?" He appeared to be flattered.

Pietrica delayed answering by drinking the rest of the water. She could feel her cheeks heating as a blush raced across them. "Well, yes."

"Good. I was beginning to miss you. It was a weird feeling," he admitted, taking the glass from her to refill it. He sat down beside her before giving her the refilled glass.

Pietrica dropped her shoes on the floor when she realized she was still holding them hooked on her fingers. She took the glass and sipped the fabulously cool water. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Ace looked at her, running his fingers over her hair that was flat and smooth against her head. "You're so beautiful."

Pietrica was glad she was drinking or she would have replied that she thought he was beautiful too. That would have been embarrassing, and she had already embarrassed herself enough. Her eyes met his dark ones, and he graced her with a heart melting smile.

"Do you really want to take a walk?" he asked her.

"No. Not really," she answered honestly.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

Pietrica held her breath when he leaned forward to capture her lips with his. The kiss was intense yet brief, almost like a hit and run show of affection. She was sitting there blinking, wondering what had happened when he suddenly rose from the bed after taking the glass from her hand. Her confusion was compounded when he sat back down on the bed but at the other end with his back leaning against the headboard. When he crooked his finger at her, beckoning her to come to him, she did so by getting on her hands and knees to crawl across the bed.

"This is nice," Ace complimented, tracing the low neckline of her dress with his finger. "You bought this the other day on your shopping spree didn't you?"

Pietrica gasped, biting her lower lip as the tip of his forefinger drifted over her generous cleavage. She was equally surprised that he had noticed such a thing as that. In her mind, he and his brother had patiently tolerated her demands to pay of their debt without paying any real attention to her. She sat down beside him, her hip against his. Her pulse quickened when his arm hooked around her waist to pull her snugly against his side.

"We're just going to stay here and get to know one another. How about that?" he inquired, brushing the tip of his nose across hers.

"Sounds great." Her lips grazed his since his face was so close to hers. How much talking would actually get done was beyond anyone's guess. Since he seemed ready to talk, she waited for him to begin.

Ace began by recounting his reunion with Luffy in Alabasta. He regaled her with the story that made her laugh, skipping over most of the details of his fight with her uncle. He slowly worked his way backwards from there through his life. Most of the information he chose to give her was on the lighter side, being hilarious anecdotes of his adventures at sea. He gave her very few intimate details of his past while making sure to steer clear of the heavy stuff.

When it was Pietrica's turn to reciprocate, she told him about a few of the more interesting arrests she and her brother had made excluding the failures that could have resulted in their deaths. She explained how, but not why, they had become pirate hunters. After that, the details of her past became very sketchy, the information becoming a few hits with many misses. She was not ready to divulge the more personal, heart breaking truths about her past such as her mother's identity and certainly not her father's. Ace would learn all of that information soon enough if their relationship continued to progress. If not, it would remain a secret just like it should. They talked until the sun came up despite feeling sleepy. They were still sitting on the bed, their arms around each other, and their foreheads pressed together to hold the other person's head up when the first ray's of daylight split the darkness.

"I better go," she announced, her voice raspy from exhaustion.

"Stay with me," he requested, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"But my room is right next door," she half halfheartedly argued. She did not want to move because it was far too comfortable and pleasant being in his arms. "I need to go."

"No, you don't. I know you're tired. I am too. I'm not ready to let you go. We can just stay here, together."

Oh, god, he was making this damn difficult. Pietrica leaned her head on his shoulder, finding a comfy place with her cheek resting on his chest and the crown of her head nestled in the crook of his neck. She sighed with satisfaction when his arms tightened around her to hold her securely to his body.

"I'll stay," Pietrica whispered, barely awake.

"How long?" Ace questioned her, brushing his lips across her cheek.

"What?"

"How long will you stay with me, Pietrica?"

"As long as you want me to stay."

Pietrica would swear she felt him smile after she said those words. Soon afterward, she slipped away into unconsciousness for some much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Pietrica gradually awakened to the sound of rain pattering against the large pane of glass on the sliding door that led to the balcony. Keeping her eyes closed, she extended her arm across the bed in a blind search for her handsome bed mate. Her hand patted the bedspread that did not contain the slightest amount of warmth much less his body. Apparently, Ace had vacated the bed quite a while before she had woken up. Her eyes slowly opened despite the desire to stay closed so she could drift back off to sleep while listening to the raindrops slapping against the glass. Rolling over, she could see Ace standing in front of the door. His body was illuminated in the dreary gray light that came in through the space where he had pulled back the curtain. Her eyes studied his face that looked as gloomy as the weather outside.

"Ace?" she called. There was no response from the man who seemed to be a million miles away in his thoughts. She sat up, standing to her feet to go to him. Moving up behind carefully, she called his name again so she would not startle him when she touched him. Her fingers touched his back, spreading out so her palm could flatten against his skin. The corners of her lips twitched upward into a smile as the warmth from his body soaked into her hand. He was like a human space heater. Heat emanated from his body into hers, comforting her. Just being near him made her feel good. One hand slid around his waist while her other hand glided around his chest. She pressed the front of her body to his back, holding onto him tightly as if he might disappear.

"I like this," he murmured, placing his hand over hers that lay over his heart.

"Like what?" she asked, pressing her forehead to his back.

"Being close to you. Having you hold me. I wish..." He stopped before he completed his sentence.

"Me too," she responded. She wished they could stay like this forever too.

"It's raining," Ace stated as if mesmerized by the raindrops that hit the glass door.

"I like the rain," Pietrica returned, patting his abdomen with her other hand. She felt the taut ridges of muscle twitch under her fingers as she hugged him.

"Why?" he inquired sounding genuinely bewildered.

Pietrica slid her hand down his arm into his hand as she backed away from him. She pulled on his hand when he continued to stare outside. After he turned to look at her, she said, "Come on, and I'll show you."

Pietrica bypassed her shoes. She would not need them. Glancing back at his feet, she was glad to see that he was still barefoot. Leading him out of the room and down the hall, she took him down the back staircase that led outside of the hotel instead of taking the elevator that opened up to the lobby. She flung open the door, feeling Ace pull her back before she could run outside.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked, squeezing her hand.

"We're going to play in the rain. Let's go," she said, pulling him forward. She squealed as the first cold drops hit her skin.

"You're crazy!" he yelled at her reluctantly allowing her to pull him outside into the pouring rain.

"I know! Isn't it great?!" she hollered back, holding up the long skirt of her dress as she turned to run.

"Where are we going?" He apprehensively glanced around at the few people they passed on the sidewalk who were carrying umbrellas and staring at them as if they were escapees from an asylum.

"Wherever our feet take us!" Pietrica exclaimed, leading him away from the streets that comprised the more populated main part of the city. The rain soaked through her dress but as long as they kept moving she did not grow cold. The shops and restaurants became more sparse as they exited the edge of the city proper. The buildings tapered off until there was nothing. Even the street dead-ended. A forest lay before them. There was a trail worn through the trees where adventurous vacationers had trekked into the woods. The dirt had turned to mud to squish between her toes and splash onto the bottom of her dress. She was ruining her new coral dress, but she did not care. The moments of freedom, of reckless abandonment to the simple joys of life, were few and far between for her. It made her even happier to be lugging Ace along with her on this wonderfully ridiculous trip of serendipity.

"Rica stop!" Ace shouted when they reached a clearing.

Pietrica immediately halted in her tracks. She spun around to face him, the water from her hair arcing out around her. She laughed when Ace stumbled backward slightly from the unexpected slap in the face from her hair. During the night, she had freed her hair from the bun for it flow loose and free. Now it hung in a sopping wet curtain down her back. "What did you call me, Ace?"

"Rica," he repeated, clutching her hand firmly as if to ask without words if that was all right with her. "Your name is a mouthful. I want to call you something that's a little easier to yell."

"Oh, Ace, you want to scream my name?" she asked, sidling up to him with a flirty grin on her face. She giggled when his bronzed cheeks darkened with a blush. Reaching up to cup his angular jaw, she brushed her thumb across the freckles that dotted his brilliant red cheek.

"I want to do a lot of things to you," he told her, pulling her into his arms.

Pietrica sighed as his lips pressed to hers. His lips were soft and wet against hers. The raindrops were almost sweet to the taste on her tongue; perhaps it was just the sweetness of the kiss that made them seem so. She pressed her body into his to draw some of the warmth from his body when she began to shake from being chilled. She clung to him as he continued to kiss her while the heat of his body seemed to rise. A faint hissing sound filled the air causing her to pull back from him in surprise. Tendrils of steam rose from his shoulders, the rain drops making a sizzling sound when they hit his skin. "Wow," she murmured, her eyes skirting over his steaming chest. "You really are hot stuff."

Ace laughed at her, enveloping her body with her arms as he held her to his body. He was purposely raising his body temperature to keep her warm. Raising his face to the sky, he closed his eyes as the rain dripped onto his skin. "This is nice."

"Yes, it is," she agreed, reveling in his warmth and strength of his arms.

"You're the strangest woman I've ever met," he said, pushing her head back to see her face. "But I like that about you."

Pietrica's eyes held his as he smiled down at her with that remarkable toothy grin that shone all the way through his eyes. She felt his stomach flutter against her chest just before growling irritably in a request for food. "Well, I'm guessing that wasn't thunder," she giggled, poking him in the ribs. "Want to go eat?"

"Of course I do. I would never turn down a meal. Especially one with a pretty lady," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Let go back to the hotel for a shower then we'll go eat."

"Sounds like a great plan," she returned, taking the hand that was offered to her.

They held hands as they strolled back to the hotel in the rain. No words passed between them as they relished the sheer joy of being with each other. They did not have much longer. Three nights and two days was all that remained of their time together. An hour later they found themselves sitting in the little restaurant where they had eaten together on their first date. Due to the rain, they had to eat inside this time. They were half way through their meal when Luffy walked in.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" he asked, sitting down next to Pietrica without even being asked to join.

"Nothing," Ace replied, standing up from the booth seat across from her. He grabbed his brother by the wrist, pulling him out of the seat to push him over to seat he had just vacated.

Pietrica smiled at him as Ace slid in next to her while putting his arm around her shoulders. Before Ace could retrieve his plate, Luffy had already helped himself to the french fries. Instead of arguing with his brother about eating his food, Ace flagged down the waitress to order more food including another round of drinks with one extra for their unexpected guest.

"What have you two been doing?" Luffy inquired despite having a mouth full of food.

"We were enjoying a nice dinner together...just the two of us," Ace added. His brother remained annoyingly oblivious to the hint. To his dismay, before the food could arrive they were joined by Cary and Nami.

"Imagine meeting you here, Sis," Cary said, leaning over Ace to kiss her cheek. He put his hand out to Ace to formally introduce himself. "I'm Cary. Her brother. Her very protective brother."

"Cary," Pietrica hissed, watching the two men as they shook hands. She could see that there was a tension to the handshake; they grasped a little to tightly in a show of dominance, both refusing to let go first.

"Hey, are you two going to hold hands all night?" Zoro remarked as he walked up to the table.

"Yay, another guest," Pietrica muttered under her breath, finishing off the dregs of her beer as the new one arrived. She grunted in protest when Zoro grabbed the fresh, frosty beer from the tray the waitress was holding. "More beers, please," she requested. "A half a dozen or so. Can you just roll a barrel of beer out here to save yourself a couple dozen trips?"

The pretty waitress with caramel colored hair laughed. "Can't do the barrel, Sweetie, but I can bring several pitchers."

"Bring this guy a pitcher and a straw," she said, hooking her thumb at Zoro who slid into the seat on the other side of her. She knew they should have requested a nice table for two in the corner instead of a large booth in the middle of the restaurant.

"You still remember my drinking habits? I'm touched," he rejoined with his typical caustic sarcasm that seemed more acidic than usual. He flinched when Pietrica thumped him on the forehead. His head made the same sound as a ripe melon when tested for ripeness. "Ow! And you're still mean as hell."

"You two know each other?" Luffy questioned them, his cheeks full of food like a squirrel's.

"Yes," the two answered in unison. Zoro smiled at her, Pietrica stuck her tongue out at him.

"She's like the annoying little sister I never wanted. The two of us worked together on bringing in several bounties when I was a pirate hunter. She may have the personality of a viper but she a damn good hunter," he complimented, draining the mug of beer that should have been hers.

"Personality of a viper? She's been nothing but super sweet to me," Ace offered in her defense.

"Of course she has been an angel to you because she's in lo- OW!" Zoro yelled in pain when she kicked him in the shin.

"Shut up, Zoro," she growled through her teeth. Her body trembled nervously as the green haired pirate hunter turned pirate leaned close to her to whisper into her ear.

"You were in love with me once too. Remember? How long will you love him? For as long as you're here on this island?" he asked in a low voice only she could hear.

Pietrica pretended not to have heard him, despite the fact that he had been so close to her that his warm breath blowing across her neck while he talked had raised goosebumps over her entire body. What he said was true. She had been in love with him once. He was the first real pirate hunter she had met soon after she and Cary had begun their journey to capture pirates. He had traveled with them for a while, teaching them and guiding them as best as he could. She had been devastated when he had made the announcement he would be leaving them after being with them for over six months. Her eighteenth birthday party was held the night before he planned to depart to go out on his own once again. She had received her first kiss that night. Zoro had found her sitting alone at the helm, finishing off a bottle of rum. Everyone else had passed out so she had retreated to the top deck to stare at the moon and listen to the waves as they coasted toward the next island where he would be getting off. Tears had reddened her eyes and streaked her cheeks.

_"Why are you sad? It's your birthday. You're officially a grown woman now," Zoro said, sitting down beside her on the seat that was built into the side of the ship._

_"Oh, yeah? Why should I be happy? You're leaving tomorrow," she sniffed, swiping angrily at the tear that slipped from her eye._

_"You knew from the beginning I was not going to stay." He reached out to wipe away the next tear that fell with his thumb. "When did you fall in love with me?"_

_"I don't know," she sighed, staring at her hands. Humiliation made her face burn. _

_"I told you not to do that."_

_Zoro had told her not to fall in love with him soon after he had boarded their ship. She had thought he was being a conceited asshole. But he was amazing with his swords. She admired his determination to become the best swordsman alive. His passion for sword fighting had inspired her to become the best bounty hunter alive. Somewhere along the way she did something stupid and became convinced that she loved him. _

_"I have a present for you," Zoro said, reaching behind him. He pulled out the small dagger he had bought for her the last time they had made port._

_Pietrica took the dagger that was twelve inches long from the end of the handle to the pointed end of the sheath. The handle of the knife was inlaid with pearl and the sheath was an ivory color with silver embellishments. White cords of leather hung from the sheath. They were to secure the dagger to her thigh. He had bought her a weapon to hide under her clothes to protect herself. She knew he cared for her but not in the way she wanted him to love her._

_"Happy Birthday, Scylla," he told her, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. He held onto her neck, keeping her face close to his. "I have one more present for you."_

_Pietrica had held her breath as his lips pressed to hers for an innocent kiss that was no more romantic than kissing her brother. Despite the lack of passion and romance, she had officially received her first kiss from another man. She had also experienced her first genuine heartache._

Pietrica took one of the full glasses of beer the waitress had sat down on the table. Once she had drank the whole thing, she turned to the green haired man sitting beside her. She laughed to see that he was actually drinking straight from the pitcher using a straw just as she had requested. Inclining her head toward him, she whispered conspiratorially, "There's one major difference between being in love with him and when I was in love with you...Ace feels the same way I do. And that makes all the difference in the world."

"Touché, little sister," Zoro retorted, raising his pitcher to her as if it were a giant beer mug. "Just be careful when falling in love with pirates."

"Or pirate hunters," she rejoined, raising her glass to tap it against the pitcher in a toast.

"I deserved that one," he muttered, sticking the straw into his mouth.

What had begun as a nice quiet date for two ended up being a noisy, drunken food fest. Although it was not the intimate occasion Pietrica and Ace had intended, they still enjoyed the raucous company. They stayed so long at the restaurant that they were finally asked to leave since it was past closing time. The group dispersed to go their separate ways. Cary informed his sister that he would not be returning to the hotel room that night. This decision worked out well for Pietrica and Ace since Luffy would be going to their room.

The rain had stopped while they were in the restaurant. The bright lights from the clubs and casinos that would be open all night reflected in the puddles that had gathered along the sidewalk. Pietrica had taken off her sandals so she could hop in the puddles of water along their way. She was wearing short shorts and a t-shirt so she would not have to worry about ruining her clothes this time.

"What should we do now?" Ace asked, swinging their hands that were linked between them.

" I don't know. I want to spend every moment I can with you," she confessed, squeezing his hand.

"We need to make all the memories we can so they will sustain us until we meet again," he said, sliding a sidelong glance at her.

"Until we meet again?" she repeated, tilting her head like a confused puppy.

"Well, yeah," he answered, sliding his arm around her waist. "Did you think I never wanted to see you again once our time here is over?"

"I just thought - "

"You just thought wrong," he interrupted her, tilting up her chin to kiss her briefly. "We can go back to the hotel. After getting some sleep, we can spend all day together. I've never slept with a woman so many times without actually having sex with her."

Pietrica stared down at her bare toes while emitting a self-conscious giggle. The thought of him having sex with another woman filled her with an unfounded jealousy. She should not be upset over his past because none of that mattered at the moment. He was an incredible man that she had met who seemed to be as enamored with her as she was with him. So this was what it felt like to have a man to be head over heels in love with her too. She liked this feeling - a lot.


End file.
